In a recurring feature, the Reader will conduct 15-minute interviews with candidates running for city, county, state, and federal offices that represent Illinois. First up: Fritz Kaegi, a candidate in the Cook County assessor’s race.
What were you up to in Russia in the 1990s?
Yes, because of a government choice. The government didn’t have to choose to do things the way they did. They were so cavalier about the global libertarian philosophy, having no government intervention, that was shown to be wrong. You need the government institutions as a check on corruption.
I have not looked at what the assessment rate for multiunit properties is versus single-family residential. That’s an interesting question. I’d like to know what the difference is. I would surmise that because big multiunit residential owners would have a bigger incentive to hire a property tax lawyer, they might be more entrenched in the appeals culture. But I would want to see data on it. That would be my guess.
It’s a complicated situation you’re facing with Berrios being the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party on top of holding the assessor’s office. You’re a Democrat running in the county, he’s the chair of the Democratic Party in the county. How do you run against someone who controls the organization that decides who your party endorses?
Take the assessment system off the table in terms of being a money machine for pay to play. That’s how. Do it accurately. Do it how assessor’s offices do it in the rest of the country, where no one knows who the assessor is. Other assessors do this just fine—get it to a point where the appeals are low, you don’t have to hire a lawyer to get a just outcome, and it’s not fueling certain individuals who are proximate to power, fueling their fortunes and their political power. Take it off the table.
